Mariah Carey wows crowds and silences critics
The Grammy winner and former American Idol judge used her greatest weapon - "that" voice - to silence her critics last night when she thrilled 6000 fans at an outdoor A Day On The Green concert at the Terry Morris-owned Sirromet Winery, just north of the Gold Coast at Mt Cotton.
Anyone who didn't go last night based on her last Gold Coast show: sorry but you missed out, this was Carey to the power of 10. A true star in the finest old-Hollywood tradition (think Bette Davis, Elizabeth Taylor, Rita Hayworth, Greta Garbo), Carey hasn't just got it - she flaunts it.
Despite the oppressive heat, the diva and her adoring audience (or as she calls them, "Little Lambs"), kept their cool for her only Queensland show and last stop on her Australian tour. Dressed in an eye-popping long black glittering see through evening gown and a fingerless silver glove on one hand, male backing dancers in tow, Carey took the stage unfashionably (by her standards) on time following well-received sets from support acts Nathaniel Willemse (ex X Factor) and Kingscliff pop rocker Casey Barnes (ex Australian Idol).
The New York native, who is travelling with her three-year-old twins, son Moroccan (Rocky) and daughter Monroe (Roe), has been staying at Palazzo Versace after flying in to Coolangatta from Auckland in the early hours of Saturday morning, they took the stage looking slightly sunburnt.
The family melted hearts on Saturday afternoon when they visited marine theme park SeaWorld - an outing sure to reap rewards for the local tourist industry once Carey (as she has done throughout her Aussie tour) posts happy snaps of the outing on social media for her 1.9 million followers on Instagram, 15.2 million Twitter followers and 21,371,857 Facebook fans.
Last night's show was a reminder why Carey, armed with one of the best sets of tonsils in pop music, has won and kept so many fans - and why she remains the highest-selling female artist of all time. The 44-year-old mined her catalogue of hits (she has 18 US No. 1 singles alone) and new material from her latest album, Me. I am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse for a set list that showed off her five-octave range and surely put to rest recent suggestions she's lost her magic touch.
The show was loaded with enough signature songs to please most punters. Carey also treated the crowd to a rendition of Make It Happen. "We didn't rehearse this but it's not like I haven't done it a million times before so this is just for you guys tonight," she said before launching into the song for the first time on her talent world tour. And yes, Carey's G#7 dolphin squeak is intact, the chanteuse hitting her high note on Emotions early in the show.
Despite her reported split earlier this year from husband and father of her twins, comedian Nick Cannon, Carey's renowned sense of humour remains intact. Carey giggled, flicked her hair and trilled away with asides that obviously tickled her own funny bone, Carey was relaxed and chatty in-between songs and costume changes. Sweating profusely but not seeming to mind.
Carey will now pack up her entourage and head back to the US, where she'll play her now-traditional special holiday concert. As Carey checks out, staff at Palazzo Versace will begin preparing for another rollcall of A-listers. The Rolling Stones, who play the last stop on their Australian tour at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Tuesday night, are also expected to bypass "G20 Brisbane" and base themselves on the Gold Coast this week. (The Daily Telegraph)
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